AUC THEOLOGICA 2020 – Vol. 10, No. 2 Pag. 41–53 ON FRIENDS AND FALSE FRIENDSHIP IN THE POETRY OF GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS1 ERIKA BRODŇANSKÁ ABSTRACT Unlike family relations, friendships are based primarily on deliberate personal decisions. In some cases, however, they can be marked not only by sym- pathy and positive emotions but also by opportunism and conflicts. The relationship between two Church Fathers and close friends, St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Basil the Great, went through a whole range of emotions. A portrayal of this relationship, as well as several others (e.g. the one with Maximus the Cynic), is to be found in St. Gregory’s autobiographical poem De vita sua. Some details on the saint’s friends can also be perceived from his letters in verses, addressed to a group of more or less close friends from his surroundings. The variety and seriousness of the matters that St. Gregory discusses in these texts mirror the depth or superficiality of each particular relationship. In his letters in verses, Gregory of Nazianzus asks his friends for special favours (e.g. Hellenius), praises their deeds (e.g. some members of the monastic community in Caesarea), encourages them (e.g. Nemesius) or reprimands them (e.g. Vitalianus). A significant indicator of the level of friendship with the per- sons involved is the way St. Gregory addresses them. The salutations he uses are often very courteous, but in a couple of cases, marks of enmity can be found as well. Keywords: Gregory of Nazianzus; Poetry; Friends; St. Basil the Great; Cynic Maximus; Per- aequator Hellenius DOI: 10.14712/23363398.2020.57 The life of St. Gregory of Nazianzus was constant strife between active life and desire for contemplative seclusion. This inner 1 This contribution was created as part of the implementation of the project VEGA 1/0114/17 Poemata moralia of Gregory of Nazianzus. © 2020 The Author. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which 41 permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ERIKA BRODŇANSKÁ struggle is conspicuous in many of Gregory’s writings, foremost in the poetry written by the end of his life, reflecting author’s experiences, opin- ions and convictions. The perception of Christian values and their signif- icance for the world inspired the poems with moral undertone,2 in which he is comparing the worldly and the spiritual life. Gregory reflects upon human virtues, moral integrity, restraint, patience, but also human nature in general. He denounces excessive wealth, envy, laziness, or the beauty of women, encourages people to turn away from idols and focus on God. He does not evade issues such as anger, lust for property or false friends.3 Two short poems bear upon the theme of fake friendship. They are written in iambic trimeter4 that lets the poet easily adapt various moods. I, II, 22 De falsis amicis I, II, 23 De eodem argumento6 Δεινὸν τὸ πάσχειν. Ἄν δὲ καὶ φίλων ὕπο, Δεινὸν τὸ λυποῦν. Ἄν δὲ καὶ λυπῇ φίλος, ὡς χεῖρον. Ἄν δὲ καὶ λαθραίοις δήγμασι, ἀνδραποδῶδες. Ἄν δὲ καὶ δάκνῃ λάθρα, τοῦτʼ οὐ φορητόν. Ἄν δὲ καὶ. πιστῶν ὕπο, ὡς θηριῶδες. Ἄν δὲ καὶ γυνὴ λάλος, ἐπίσχες. Ἄν δὲ καὶ Θεοῦ παραστατῶν, δαίμων σύνοικος. Ἄν δὲ καὶ δικασπόλος, ποῖ τις τράπηται; Πῶς φύγῃ κακῶν φοράν;5 χρεία κεραυνῶν. Ἄν δὲ καὶ θυηπόλος,, ἄκουε, Χριστὲ, καὶ δίκαζε τὴν δίκην.7 2 The criteria for organizing Gregory’s poetic work, as proposed by Patrologia Graeca (Patrologiae cursus completus, accurante J.P. Migne, series graeca (PG) 35–38), are the theme of individual poems and the intended audience, even though we have little information on the latter. The poetry of Gregory of Nazianzus is in the 37th volume of PG and is divided into two books (poemata theologica, poemata historica). Both books are further subdivided into two parts: I, I Poemata dogmatica; I, II Poemata moralia; II, I Poemata de se ipso; II, II Poemata quae spectant ad alios. 3 Erika Brodňanská, Gregor z Nazianzu: Listy vo veršoch (Prešov: Prešovská univerzita, 2012), 37. 4 Greeks considered iambic meter to be appropriate for the narrative literature because of its resemblance with spoken language (Bernard von Wyss, ‘Gregor von Nazianz. Ein griechisch-christlicher Dichter des 4. Jahrhunderts,’ Museum Helveticum 6, (1949): 192). As for the use of iambic meter, Gregory drew inspiration from Eurip- ides’ and Sophocles’ tragedies, but also from the more recent works of Menandros, whose influence is evident especially in moralizing passages. 5 It is hard to suffer, but it is ever harder if it is by the hand of a friend. It is intolerable when they bite you unexpectedly. What if it is those who are faithful? Endure it. And what if you suffer from the hands of those who are close to God? Where to seek assis- tance and how to escape the evil? 6 There has been incertitude concerning the origin of the poem. While Robert Keydell (‘Die Unechtheit der Gregor von Nazianz zugeschriebenen Exhortatio ad virgines,’ Byzantinische Zeitschrift 43, no. 2 (1950): 334, note 1) asserts Gregory to be the author, H. Werhahn (‘Dubia und Spuria unter den Gedichten Gregors von Nazianz,’ Studia patristica VII (1966): 342) expresses doubts concerning the poem’s authenticity. 7 Disgrace is a big burden. If a friend humiliates you, it is vile. If he debases you behind your back it is beastly. If your reputation is sullied by a gossiping woman you are 42 ON FRIENDS AND FALSE FRIENDSHIP IN THE POETRY OF GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS The poems share the theme and the meter, but broader similari- ties concern specific ideas expressed in the verses as well as the word choice. Gregory thus emphasizes the importance of the message: the words Ἄν δὲ καὶ are repeated in the middle of the verses and the poems are concluded by the mention of the people ranking highest on the imaginary credibility scale. The poem I, II, 22 warrants the impression that Gregory could write it under the influence of disillusionment with St. Basil the Great’s friend- ship. The author briefly and clearly reiterates what he detailed in the autobiographical poem De vita sua (II, I, 11).8 Gregory and Basil had already met during their studies in Cappado- cia, but their friendly relationship – as we learn from Gregory’s verses – had deepened later, at the Plato’s Academy in Athens:9 Basil, of course, it was, the great ornament of our generation. In studies, in lodgings, in discussions I had him as companion. We made a team, if I may boast a little, that was celebrated throughout Greece. We had all things in common, and a single soul, as it were, bound together our two distinct bodies. But above all it was God, of course, and a mutual desire for higher things, that drew us to each other. As a result we reached such a pitch of confidence that we revealed the depths of our hearts, becoming ever more united in our yearning10 (II, I, 11, 226-235; PG 37, 1045). The relation between the two friends continued after their return home from studies. While Gregory had been torn between a constant urge of social responsibility that pushed him to engage in public life and the desire to retreat, Basil was visiting the centres of monasticism in Palestine, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Basil later settled in Anni- soi in Pontus, where he tried to live a life of an eremite. Under the influence of his friend, Gregory tried to practice ascetism, but he was facing a demon. Yet if the humiliation comes from a judge it is like being struck by a thunder. If the perpetrator is the servant of God, Jesus, listen and judge. 8 Gregory’s friendship with Basil the Great, its intensity, development and unexpected turns resonate in other Gregory’s works, be it poetry, lyrics, or letters. 9 Gregory of Nazianzus spent about seven years in Athens (350–356/358). His teachers were rhetoricians Himerius and Prohairesius, and classmate, apart from Basil the Great even the future Emperor Julian, also known as Julian the Apostate. (Kristoffel Demoen, Pagan and Biblical Exempla in Gregory Nazianzen (Brepols, 1996), 19). 10 English translation cited from: Denis Molaise Meehan, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus: Three Poems (Washington, D. C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1987), 83–84. 43 ERIKA BRODŇANSKÁ not convinced that it was his vocation. Nonetheless, Gregory dealt with his life crises by escaping to Basil in Pontus (II, I, 11, 351-356; PG 37, 1053-1054): Like an ox stricken by the gadfly I made for Pontus, anxious to have the most godly of my friends as medicine for my agitation. For there, hidden in that cloud, like one of the sages of old, practising union with God, was Basil, who is now with the angels. With him I soothed my agony of spirit.11 The reversal in the long-term friendship happened in 370, when Basil became the Bishop of Caesarea Bishop and Metropolitan of the entire Cappadocia. Gregory felt that the sense of necessity of the friend- ship had been lost, and that Basil betrayed his commitment to being devoted to philosophical life,12 that is to say to apply religious theo- ry into everyday life and practice.13 The relationship worsened when Basil ordained Gregory Bishop of Sasima (nowadays Silifka), situated in a relatively inhospitable region. Gregory accepted the ordination, but did not approve of Basil’s decision (II, I, 11, 389-394; PG 37, 1056): Basil, the closest of our friends, came to visit us.